


Once Upon a Timeless Dream

by Rebelheart94



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Autism, Chapter's are short or long there is no real length goal, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/F, Happy Ending, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, No beta reader, OC is Ruby and Belle's kid, Pixie dust scene will be gutted and redone, We Die like the Writing Fools we are!, depends on what's happening!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebelheart94/pseuds/Rebelheart94
Summary: (Previously known as "Daughter of Beauty and the Beast" on Fanfiction(dot)net)Emma, the newly born daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, was sent through a magical cabinet in an attempt to have the child escape the Curse that was cast by The Evil Queen.This story expands off that world and changes it as the four-year-old daughter of Red Riding Hood and Belle, named Andromeda, was sent through with the Princess due to the close friendship of Snow and Red. The strangely serious child was already overprotective of the baby, so in Snow White's panicking mind her fresh plan made sense. With Red and Belle assisting in holding off the Evil Queen's army, Snow had Charming take Andromeda with him and Emma to make sure both children escape.Magic like that tends to have it's own agenda however, and due to a mishap with the Tree, Andromeda appears in the Land Without Magic six years after Emma's arrival, now the younger of the two.But even in the magic-less land, the two are reunited by outside means. This is the Story of their lives, and the lives of the living Fairy Tales around them.
Relationships: Belle/Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, OFC/Maleficent, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	1. Character Build

**Author's Note:**

> For any who may recognize this story (though be warned, it will be HIGHLY redone), yes, this was originally posted on Fanfiction(dot)net! However, as I am sticking strictly to Ao3 now, this has been moved over here and will hopefully be a far better (and darker, to be honest) version!

_**Please keep in mind that this is only the Original Character Build. I will be posting the Official First Chapter here soon, just wanted to get this out of the way <3** _

* * *

**OC Character Build**

**Name:** Andromeda Swan (Meaning: Persistence) (Nickname from Emma: Andy) (Grew Up in foster with Emma) 

**Age:** 26 (was 4 years old when she somehow got stuck in the "go between" of both worlds, and got spat out 6 years after Emma, thus is two years younger now) 

**Height:** 5ft 10in 

**Build:** Lean/Athletic 

**Eye Color:** Stormy Blue/Gray (think the crashing waters/cloudy sky when a storm is happening over the ocean) (gains Ember flecks when her other side pushes through) 

**Hair Length/Color:** About two inches past her shoulders, Wild/wavy/Feathery Brunette (with natural red highlights/tint, think a mix of FTL and Storybrooke Ruby's hair) 

**Parent She Looks Most Like:** Ruby Lucas, and has Ruby's signature teasing smirk/eyebrow raise, but has more of a pointed jaw like Belle and Belle's _seemingly_ innocently sweet disposition to go with her inherited blue eyes. 

**Unknown Living Family: Mom** : Ruby Lucas (Red), **Maman** **(French for “Mom)** : Belle French, **Grandmother (Mom's side)** : Granny Lucas (Granny), **Adoptive** **Grandfather (** **Maman's** **side)** : Moe French (Maurice). **Unknown Deceased Family:** **Grandmother (** **Maman’s** **Side):** Lady Morrigan (Dragoness), **Grandfather (** **Maman’s** **Side):** King Darius of the Summerlands (older brother to King Xavius who became King after Darius died, uncle to Prince Henry) (yes, _that_ Henry, Regina’s Father) 

**Occupation:** Bounty Hunter with Emma (until in Storybrooke)/Artist (Before and During)

 **Signature Wear:** Garnet Red with Deep Gold designs padded leather Jacket (think Emma's blue jacket's collar clasp design), black mass effect n7 zip up hoodie, gray crew neck t-shirt, Black combat cargo pants, her brown with red laces non-leather military combat boots, a glass wolf necklace on a leather cord with what looks like grains of gold inside (think Ruby's "Lucky wolf charm" design), a leather cuff around her left and right wrists (think Arno Dorian's leather cuff design of Assassin's Creed Unity, but with a gold circle and the design being a paw print over a cloak on the left, and an open book over a strange star-like design on the right). 

**Motorcycle Helmet:** HJC Boba Fett helmet (Dark Green) 

**Attitude:** Very adventurous. A morning person (much to Emma's amused annoyance). Normally very joyful attitude but has issues with understanding most social situations, and feels calmer after she gets used to/knows people and “settles down” after feeling like it’s “safe” to do so. Yet when she feels that Emma or she is threatened, she is ready to rip arms out of sockets in her protective rage. 

**Likes:** Cats (from house cats to jungle cats), Dogs (pet dogs to Wolves), Singing and Dancing, Parkour/Free Running, Reading, Video Games, her non-blood sister Emma, her wolf glass necklace that was apparently attached to her blanket when she was found. Warm temperature weather, but also loves the rain. 

**Dislikes:** Having to sit still and quiet when she doesn’t feel like it, Winter (Emma makes her dress warm even when she keeps telling her that she doesn't feel freezing cold as much as others do, but let's the heavy dressing happen because she hates the ice and the padding helps if she falls), People who mess with Emma and herself. 

**"Superpower":** Her "Adrenaline Rush" super strength/speed moments (Emma's name for it) (they find out once curse breaks that she is actually a werewolf), Her "Super" hearing, sight, and smelling abilities. 

**"Faults":** Very bad balance on Ice (refuses to ice-skate. Andromeda prefers rollerblading, bike riding, or horseback riding), can't focus on one topic for too long before she starts getting bored and antsy (unknowing that it's her wolf wanting out, but can't get out at all).


	2. Prologue: The War is Just Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prologue slowly starting to introduce a few things to the story (yes, this story is starting with a bit more background that the original one I had written, but I think in the long run, it will work out better! Enjoy <3

* * *

**_(*The Enchanted Forest, Dusk*)_ **

* * *

Red Riding Hood ran swiftly through the ever darkening forest around her, one hand holding her folded up cloak while the other carefully clutched at her pregnant belly. She had been fleeing from her pursuers for what felt like days, and shaky steps told her the tale of just how much of a toll it was taking on her. A grimace pulled across her features as she realized just how much her lack of rest had slowed her down, and far faster than she had felt it would take. 

Thick, tightly grouped trees with large roots kept her just out of sight. Having grown up among them, it was second nature to know where to step and where to avoid. Her lack of rest had taken her usual speed, but she felt safer with the knowledge of the old forest slowing those chasing her far more than her pregnancy slowed her. 

Her trust had been placed wisely, and the Living magic from the ground itself that had long since bled into the trees had come to her aid, leaving only half a dozen of her enemies alive as nature itself sought to protect one of its last wolves. Soldiers had tripped over roots, only to be dragged into the undergrowth by the very things that tripped them, leaving behind only lined marks from their armor digging into the ground and their screams of fear before they were silenced. 

Unfortunately, those losses had the leader of the remaining lot wizening up, and now they followed her with dark magic infused weapons that kept the trees back from reaching at them, lest the corrupted blades burn away at them. 

The sound of clanking armor and weapons had the she-wolf attempting to speed up through her stumbling run, even as exhaustion pulled hard at her achingly tired muscles. Feeling a soft kick to her hand reminded her harshly of why she refused to stop or even risk fighting those chasing her. Her unborn child would not be put at risk if she could avoid it. 

“That damnable she-wolf seems to be slowing down! Come on lads, or the Queen will have our heads instead of hers!” A man’s croaking voice could be heard calling out from over the ruckus their armor made from having to run on foot since the dense trees and roots were unsafe for their horses. Sure, they had tried anyway at first, but after having to put down two of the steeds from harshly broken legs, they had left the rest behind to avoid their Queen’s ire. They hadn’t known it at the time, but had they tried to continue on, the trees might have even dropped their numbers further and faster due to the lack of mobility. 

A hand reached out from a hollowed tree and abruptly dragged Red into it from its raised roots before the Dark Knights could catch sight of her. “Shh!” The other voice hissed lowly at the now yellow eyed Red’s growling, “It’s just me.” 

Sharply turning her head to look towards the voice, Red quieted at both the sound of the remaining numbers of the group now charging past the hidden women with their sharpened blades and crackling fire of the burning torches, to see the sight of Snow White herself. The other woman was covered in dirt and had been well hidden among the shadowed innards of the tree to the point where even Red did not know she was there. 

They were as silent as the unnatural night around them until the forest regained its usual creaking noises and warm breeze, nature’s unspoken signal that the coast was clear to the two it had helped hide away. 

“Come on,” Snow helped Red up from their crouched places under the darkness of the tree, “if we head just north of here, we should be able to avoid the rest of the Queen’s soldiers completely.” Once Red was out and steady on her own feet, Snow drew her bow and nocked an arrow just in case she was wrong. 

While they moved fluidly though the night darkened forest, Red began muttering lowly, barely loud enough for Snow to hear out of habit to avoid eavesdroppers, “The Evil Queen heard word of mine and Belle’s child somehow. Apparently the Dark One has her on edge over it all due to some sort of rumor about Belle’s true parentage. I think one of the trusted, willingly or not, has sung loud and true for the Queen.” Red’s currently yellow eyes scanned the forest around them carefully as she spoke, while her left hand applied a bit more pressure to her stomach to calm her fussy unborn child. 

Snow began combing through information she mentally kept track of about the rebellion she partially led, and scowled in frustration when she thought of just the person who had recently vanished from their ranks after the last group meeting where they discussed the protection of Red, Belle, and their unborn child, “Huntsman. He wouldn’t have sung willingly, however, which means we must warn the others about his probable loss of heart. With all the fail-safes in place, the Queen won’t gain much information from him about the actual resistance, but it will be good for them to know not to reach out to him for now.” 

Red nodded during the final turn though a hollowed out fallen tree that would lead to the small magically hidden village that she had been trying to lose her previous trackers to slip away to. They paused just inside of it as Snow would be heading back out into the main forest while Red would be entering said village. “Agreed, I’ll alert the messengers before I turn myself over to the healer’s care for a check-up on my pup.” 

The two shared a brief but firm hug, with Red calling out to the Princess before she could get very far when they separated, “And Snow, please be careful. It’s getting worse out there.” 

“I’m always careful!” Was the cheeky call back, getting a chuckle from Red when Snow stumbled over a root for a moment due to walking backwards. 

“Sure you are.” Red muttered with a shake of her head and turned to head into the village after Snow vanished among the trees, whistling a specific bird tune to alert the guards just inside the barrier of Red’s arrival. 

* * *

**_(*Three Days later, The White Kingdom’s Royal Castle*)_ **

* * *

“ _YOU..._ **_IDIOTS!_ **” The Evil Queen roared, throwing a statue across the large throne room with her magic, then hit it with an overcharged fireball to turn it to a pile of sand-like rubble before it could connect to a wall. Feeling the strongest bit of rage die out with the magic used, she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down when her Father glanced at her pointedly. “I gave you a simple job to do, and so many of you to do it with. Three dozen of you were sent to capture Snow White’s little pregnant she-wolf friend and bring her to me. Yet only half a dozen of you return without what I seek, and horseless, might I add.” 

The remaining Dark Knights shuffled awkwardly in place with winces, one of them shakily stepping forward to address their Queen. “Your Majesty, it was the Forest. It was as if nature itself turned against us. There is magic within that ground and it is protective of her as she is one of the last of her kind. It wasn’t until the Commander had us draw out our Dark Blades that the accursed things let us be.” 

Regina dropped her hand and stared at them with curiosity at their tale, “The Forest itself, you say? Tell me more about this mission you so harshly failed at, and do not lie to me for I will know.” She slowly walked closer to the tense Knights and smirked minutely when they all dropped to one knee in reverence to her. 

“Yes, my Queen. You see, we lost nearly a dozen men at the entrance to the forest just beyond one of the bordering villages. Archers from Snow White’s rebellion had shot them down from hidden places among the roofs before they vanished into the trees to the west. Our quarry took off to the south though, so the Commander decided that she was our main target to keep up with. Due to the rough ground and thick roots, we lost two horses before having to continue on foot after her.” He quickly stuttered out in an attempt to appease her further, and to avoid their remaining numbers from dwindling. 

By now the Queen had returned to her forcibly claimed throne and sat down, listening intently to the tale. At her nod of understanding the situation so far, the young man continued with a haunted look to his eyes and a shaky tone, “That was about the time the situation went from bad to worse. The torches did not do a very good job of lighting the forest around us, so we were under the assumption that we were under attack by even more members of the resistance. It wasn’t until we lost over a dozen more men that those remaining caught sight of what exactly was dragging the others away. It was the very trees themselves.” 

Henry, the Queen’s father, paled at the mere thought. He turned to look towards Regina and muttered just low enough so only she would hear, “Mi hija, if this man’s words are true, would it be wise to keep hunting this woman? We cannot fight the forest itself. It is futile to even try.” 

She hummed lowly in thought, the silence stretching one for a few moments before a dark smile appeared on her face, “Not if we cut off the forest’s connection to even sensing her.” Standing up briskly, Regina motioned to the remaining Dark Knights, “Leave us.” 

Their rapidly distancing footsteps echoed further away as fast as they could politely get away with before she allowed her magic to flair out to summon one of her mirrors, “We’ll see how much longer the she-wolf can hide without her precious nature magics, and who knows? Maybe Snow White herself will also be easier to hunt down. Oh, I do love when things fall my way.” Her dark laughter soon echoed through the quiet halls of the royal castle. 

* * *

**_(*Four Months Later, nearing Midnight on a full moon*)_ **

* * *

A brutal thunder storm heralded the arrival of Snow White and Belle from the village’s main entrance, the crackling lightning lighting their way between torches in the extraordinarily dark night. “Clear the way!” Snow bellowed out, thankful that the other resistance members in the village that had gathered outside of the large healer’s hut at hearing Red’s agonized howling pick up in frequency and volume, had scattered out of the way at her words. 

Belle charged forward and in to the hut with zero hesitation, skidding to a stop just in time to avoid crashing in to one of the healers near Red’s fully shifted wolf form. “I’m here Red, just like I promised.” She whispered softly after brushing past the man to run her fingers through the fur on Red’s neck. 

A thick blanket was draped over her back, and with a muttered thank you to Snow, Belle kept her focus solely on her True Love in front of her. 

“How long now?” Snow lowly asked a nearby older woman she recognized, gazing at her best friend with worry when more whimpering left the she-wolf at the pain of her body preparing for the incoming birthing. 

“Not much longer at all. I’d say the birthing process could begin any moment now. If that pup is anything like Red, she’ll come out into this world with a howl and the impatience of nothing else.” Granny snorted lightly in amusement, shaking her head even as Red overheard and growled warningly in their direction. 

That growl cut off with a sharp surprised yelp hidden by a roaring crack of thunder when the Red felt her body tense at the pain, only to do so at the same time her pup moved, leading the very impatient little one to be birthed on the spot. 

Granny leapt into action without a single bit of hesitation and began checking on the health of the pup. Normally there would be a fully-fledged healer and a lot more fanfare about it all, but werewolves who birthed during the full moon were able to avoid that. It would lead to a more wild pup, sure, but Red and Red’s mother were both full moon pups as well, and Granny felt used to the different birthing than a more human birthing by now. 

Snow watched with wide-eyes as Red morphed back, somehow triggering her new pup to do the same, and winced at the thought of giving birth to an older baby. From what Belle had learned and told her in return, werewolves that were of the royal line tended to be full moon pups. In turn, the pup would basically be considered two months old by human standards when born, and the fact that they were in wolf form is what made smooth births possible with that. 

The Princess of the White Kingdom could believe it. Red and Belle’s child was a little on the small side, but in human form she looked like a healthy two-month-old child with a bit of hair on her head and eyes that were both colored so much like Belle’s. 

“That seems almost unfairly easy.” Snow teased Red with a small grin, laughing lightly at Red’s returning huff and pouty glare. Her best friend may be in human form now, but that didn’t mean the wolf wasn’t still at the forefront as well. Her grin morphed into a soft smile and an even softer gaze at the sight of Red and Belle cuddling close together to watch their new pup try to fight off sleep, “What are you going to name her?” 

Belle felt a happy warmth in her chest when Red placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, and the book lover spoke for the both of them, “Andromeda. It might be a bit of a mouthful, but it was a name we both agreed on completely. Now come over here and greet your niece like a normal person, because while you’re not of the same blood, Red still considers you to be her sister.” 

A happy squeal pierced the air for a second, only to get cut off by Granny cracking a cloth at Snow to send the younger woman darting out of the projectiles path and towards the little family. Snow smiled apologetically at Granny even as she joyfully dropped down into a chair next to the low bed to greet the new member. 

The storm was still raging in the background and showing no signs of letting up anytime soon as Red held her daughter close and cuddled further into the strangely strong warmth of her True Love and mate. She let out a relaxing sigh of relief as the potion Granny gave her earlier finally kicked in and started soothing the leftover inner birthing pains that came with full moon births. While quick, that sort of birthing had an insane amount of pain tied to it to make up for the speed of the birth. 

With Snow moving to take watch near the entrance to guard their sectioned off area of the healer’s hut, Granny nearby making sure her presence was felt to keep her grandpup and great grandpup more relaxed, and Belle’s arms snugly wrapped around both Red and baby Andromeda, Red could feel herself beginning to doze off at the warm and safe feeling. Red smiled with amusement at the sight of seeing her daughter finally dozing off as well, even the rain storm thundering away outside brought comfort to their child. 

_It wouldn’t be safe forever. But it was safe enough for now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More shall arrive tomorrow! The ending with the birth WAS a little rushed, but mostly due to my lack of knowledge at trying to wing-it in creating a reasoning for something that will be brought up again at a later point in the story, with more details then! I do apologize for the bit of rush for now though, but I do hope ya'll enjoyed the rest of it! More pre-Storybooke stuff to come! :D


	3. Chapter 1 - Sketchy Memories and Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time skips galore with an arrival to Storybrooke! Fleshing out a small bit more background that will be hailed back to later, and giving a little more detail before we get to the Storybrooke stuff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Warning: I do not have a beta reader, and I was half asleep writing this but it DOES look okay to post, so I went for it. Any mistakes/feelings of if it was too skippy just let me know and I'll see what I can do! (constructive criticism is hella welcomed!)
> 
> Oh, and I do not own OUAT, just this OC and the nonsense that is my brain <3

* * *

**_(*Minnesota, The Land Without Magic - Fourteen Years Later*)_ **

* * *

A recently turned fourteen-year-old Andromeda Swan stumbled into the somewhat impressive cardboard shelter she and Emma had made after avoiding the current group home. They had run away after a woman named Ingrid was planning on adopting them both. That wasn’t a bad thing by any means, but when the woman seemed to vanish after rambling about magic to them, they had booked it out of town before the social workers could arrive. 

The stack of drawing paper that had been hidden away in her jacket was carefully clutched at so she didn’t drop a single sheet when transferring it to the upturned crate their new friend Lily had found. It was a gift that Emma and Lily had stolen for her when they got her to admit what she wanted for her birthday. Andromeda treated the pages like they were the most precious gems ever to exist. 

What the older two didn’t know is that it was for her to draw her memories before they kept fading. Six of the two dozen pages were soon filled with her memories of a tall, dark forest she vaguely remembers. They were swiftly scratched into exquisite detail on the large pages, where not a single inch of the page was left blank from either form or shading. 

Swapping to another page, she began drawing people that she still had dreamed of. People who loved her and Emma, or people who knew those that did. Those memories also told her that she should be the older one of them, but that didn’t make sense, so she focused on the other people she could still remember and lunged for her pencil sharpener, desperate to draw them before they finished fading from her memory completely. 

Page after page began to come to life with the people she placed among them. One held a Queen who wore a smirk as she gazed forward as if looking directly at the viewer, with a smoky sort of magic flowing around her. Behind her was an open field with a horse stable that led to a shadowed form of a castle. The forced grey color from her lack of colored pencils did not bother Andromeda as even the colors had begun fading from her memory, but she made sure that each sketch had the monikers she could remember for each person. This one had The Queen formed from the smoke of the magic at the bottom of the page. 

The next was of a pregnant woman holding a bow and standing next to a man with sword, with a bitten apple at their feet and a shadowy castle in the background between the trees behind them that looked much like the Queen’s castle. The names Snow White, Prince Charming and Emma had mindlessly drifted into the scene as well, with the Prince’s name being on the blade of his sword, Snow White’s name engraved on the quiver on her back, and Emma’s name was blended on to the tunic over the pregnant belly of Snow White. 

Another page, the last one by now, was pulled forward. Unlike the others however, this one was slowly and painstakingly filled with detail. Like many others, there was the forest she remembers, but this time there was an emotion tied to it that she couldn’t place just yet. The sound of traffic outside had faded from her mind, leaving only the whispering breeze as her hand drifted the pencil across the page. A single ignored tear dripped down her face, barely missing the paper when it fell. She drew the family so carefully, as if it would somehow bring them to life if she was careful enough. When it was finished and she lightly sprayed over all the sketches with hairspray like Lily taught her to, she pulled back with a shaky breath and fought hard at the urge to cry. 

On the page was everyone from all the other pages all around a small family her heart ached for. Great Granny was holding a crossbow on her shoulder with her moniker engraved into it, and had that knowing smile and kind eyes as she stood next to two younger women. Her parents. She knew that adults here thought it was silly and even stupid that Andromeda swore she has two mom’s, but it’s true and she knows they didn’t give her up without reason. 

Belle and Red, her parents. Those names brought a whine forth and renewed her tears, leading her to scrub at her face so they wouldn’t fall and ruin the page in front of her. She had drawn everyone on this page to painstaking detail and she refused to allow anything to ruin it. Taking a moment to calm down, Andromeda looked back at the page and smiled weakly at her parents, and how she drew it so they were both hugging a younger version of her between them. Moving her gaze over, she giggling slightly at the sight of a pregnant Snow White and winking Prince Charming standing on the other side of her parents. Emma reminded her of the two quite often with her playful teasing and stubborn demeanor. 

Beyond them was The Queen and three other powerful women, ‘ _The Queens of Darkness’_ her mind helpfully provided, while her fingers gently traced over the intricate designs they had on their clothing. Even as it hurt to know she might not ever see any of them again, even those that fought her parents, she couldn’t help but smile at having them all on paper now to avoid forgetting everyone completely. 

Others were on the page as well. To the right was Prince Eric and Ariel, Fa Mulan, Princess Aurora, Sultana Jasmine and Sultan Aladdin, Cinderella and Prince Thomas, the Seven Dwarves, the Huntsman, and sitting on a branch above them with scaly skin and a wicked grin was Rumpelstiltskin with a strange dagger. The other side of the page had another couple named Robin Hood and Marian, along with Geppetto and his son Pinocchio with the cricket Jiminy on his shoulder, Ingrid in a gorgeous dress that reminded Andromeda of stories the woman told them about, and above them was a kind hearted mad man with a silly hat named Jefferson, sitting on one of the branches in a tree with a lopsided grin.

Even though details of how Andromeda knew everyone were still fading fast as of late, she knew that with these pages she’d never fully forget, and that brought her a peace she didn’t realize she needed.

Muttering and cursing broke through her thoughts from outside of the cardboard shelter, and Andromeda carefully gathered up all of the now used pages, sliding them into a folder that she then put into a thin but long and wide metal lock box. It snapped shut and locked just as Emma stumbled into the shelter and started filling a backpack with stuff around them. 

“Come on Andy, we’re getting out of here. Lily... just grab your stuff and let’s go.” Emma grumbled out with a scowl, stuffing clothing into her bag with force to make room for anything else they might need, but took time to softly tuck the Pokémon Pikachu plush Andromeda had given her and her old baby blanket into the bag as well. 

Andromeda lunged for her own backpack and shoved some clothes in before placing the metal lock box inside of it with more clothes around and on top of it to protect it further, “Where are we going?” She risked asking, only to roll her eyes when Emma growled at the question. 

Emma yanked on the duffel bag she had and held her hand out to Andromeda, which the younger girl took after tossing a few more items into her own bag and grabbed her Eevee Pokémon plush Emma had given her previously, “Anywhere but here. Though we should probably head west or south away from the lakes before it gets any colder. Can sneak on to a few buses or steal enough for tickets so we can avoid Minnesota winter. I’m old enough now that most people won’t question us being without adults anymore, so it should make it easier to get out of here cause it’s too cold for us on the streets in that weather.” 

Daylight had long since fallen, and the night hid their movements well when they darted out of the alley and ran down the road, still holding on to each other's hand to not lose each other in the foot traffic that remained. It would only take a few minutes to reach the first bus station, and with a new found calmness at slipping hands into pockets and purses, they had plenty to purchase two tickets to take them anywhere else. Sadly, the only bus connections that would run south anytime soon were out west, so that’s where they were heading. 

Police would arrive a few hours later to an abandoned shelter with the two orphans nowhere to be found. 

Instead, the two were taking turns sleeping on a bus already well on its way out of town. ****

* * *

**_(*Portland, Oregon. Two Years Later*)_ **

* * *

Another painting was sold to the usual buyer somewhere in Maine, and using the usual protected delivery method, Andromeda dropped it off at the local post office so she was heading back out in less than two minutes. It took a few paintings but after each and every one had been bought by the same person, the buyer was happily paying before the art even arrived to their post office now. 

Almost every penny of the money that could be saved went into a savings account in preparation for when Emma was let out of prison, as she had planned with Emma for the both of them to ditch and head out far east once Emma got out of prison. 

A year ago, Emma had been set up to take the fall for Neal, who Andromeda had thought was a solid friend up until that point. He had taken them both under his wing and honed their thieving skills to an artform, and not once did they ever think he would throw them under the bus for something. They were wrong. Now Emma had a kid that she couldn’t raise safely and was stuck in prison, while Andromeda had to push to rush graduating high school online for her diploma so she could have that to back up any future job she gets. Didn’t really need it for the moment as she was simply selling her artworks of scenes from where she and Emma were really from that she can only remember glimpses of. 

“Only a few more hours till Emma’s out, best go ahead and see if there’s a bus that’s headin’ out that way.” She mumbled to herself lowly at passing a shop display that had the weather channel playing on the televisions, and seeing the date on them. The footpaths were fairly clear now that it was between lunch rush and rush hour. 

Rolling thunder rumbled through the air as the sky darkened from the rain clouds moving in, sending even more people inside or back to their vehicles. Andromeda just tilted her head back and smiled at the drops of rain beginning to fall from the clouds, and stopped near the bus stop to take a deep breath of the smell rain usually brought with it. 

“Oh, sorry about that!” A familiar voice called out after bumping into her and nearly sending them both tumbling from the collision. Clinging to the railing and staring after the man, Andromeda could feel a snarl pull free at the sight of Neal walking over to the yellow Volkswagen bug nearby. 

It took a minute, but realization hit her like a sack of brick and she reached down, only to feel that her wallet was missing, “You son of...” Andromeda bellowed out, taking off into a dead sprint to cover the distance before he could get to the door of the car and tackled him hard. 

Most of the street was empty now, and the few remaining steadily ignored the tussle between the two. Unfortunately for Neal, Andromeda was always a scrappy sort and with her unnatural strength and speed advantage, she had her wallet back in seconds, “I outta kick your teeth in for makin’ Emma take the fall for you, and impregnating her too!” 

“Wait!” He yelled out when she pulled away to stomp down between his legs, “I’ll give you the bug!” 

Her paused movements and raising eyebrow of interest had Neal scrambling to continue, “Yeah, and the title is still blank at the moment so no one will question anything if you wanna register it! Also, the stuff that you and Emma had in there, it’s still there, just take the car and we can call it even?!” 

She growled and made an aborted motion to stomp down, making him flinch back, “If you ever come around my sister again... you won’t like what I'll do to you.” At his frantic nods of agreement, she pointed off to the side and hummed in approval when he took off down the road in the opposite direction as if hell was on his heels. 

“There is no way that just happened.” Andromeda said with disbelief when he turned the corner and vanished out of sight. Of all the people to bump in to and to get a mode of transportation from them right as Emma is getting out of prison? It seemed kind of eerie to her. 

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she shook it off and headed over to the car to make sure it was empty of other people, then hopped in and cranked the old girl awake. The resounding rumble that matched the thunder outside made her wince but it was still a box with four wheels, so it would work for now until they could replace it or fix it up. Looking in the back seat, she grinned at seeing Emma’s old duffel bag of stuff still there, along with her worn out backpack. She’d check them later, but it looks like they had been forgotten about so everything should still be there. “Well I’ll be damned.” 

With a tank full of gas already in the car, their stuff in the backseat and nothing else needing to be done, she pulled out of the parking spot and started the drive towards the prison, not noticing the thick envelope of cash partially hidden under the passenger floorboard. Andromeda reached forward to pat the dashboard with a growing grin, “Come on old girl, let’s go pick up your new owner. Trust me, she’ll take care of you far more than that scumbag did.” 

Out of sight behind a building in the outskirts of Portland, an old man looked out from under an awning when the bug drove past and nodded approvingly. Time was running out to get the two to Boston, and with Neal passing off the bug and the money, it would allow the Savior and the Wolf to cross that distance swiftly. He hoped the bit of remaining magic he had to use to get them to focus on Boston where a few others were would help in the end, or Storybrooke was doomed. ****

* * *

**_(*Boston,_ ** **_Massachusetts_ ** **_– Ten Years Later*)_ **

* * *

"Come on old woman, we don't have all day for you to knock off your heels. You're blocking the door and the path to my nice, warm shower." The younger Swan in her low southern drawl, laughing as she lightly pushed Emma out of the doorway and further into their shared apartment. 

Emma huffed and narrowed her eyes towards the brunette after the small stumble she had. A slow smirk eased across her face as she straightened up and an idea popped into her mind, "Old, am I Andy?" She asked, slowly turning to face the younger woman completely. 

Andromeda's eyes went wide when she noticed the ‘older-sister-prank-incoming' look on the Emma's face. She turned on her heel at the sight of it and darted into the apartment's living room, easily leaping over the coach to get away from the older woman. 

Spinning on her heel again to see where the blonde was now at, she threw her hands up when she caught sight of Emma no longer having heels on and was standing near the backside of the couch instead, "Now Emma..." She said with a nervous grin and awkward laugh, "there's no need for tickle fights... right?" 

Emma just smirked wickedly with her arms held out and up near her sides, knowing that Andromeda didn't think tickle fights were a fair way to settle things. It was simply because when tickled, the tall brunette couldn't defend herself because she would be laughing too hard to be able to do so. 

Taking a few seconds to think of a way out of it, an idea of her own hit and the brunette quickly pointed towards the door, putting on a shocked look and nearly shouting. "Holy crap, it's Angelina Jolie!" 

The moment Emma had a what-the-hell look on her face and looked over at said front door, Andromeda let out a laugh and she leapt over the nearby side table and darted into the bathroom. Thankfully she put her change of clothes in there before they left earlier, if only to make claiming the bathroom for the first shower easier. 

The door snapped shut and she clicked the lock right before she could hear Emma's thunderous footsteps stop right in front of it with not even a full second between the two noises. She waited with baited breath and a grin for what would happen next, the child still in her soul was loving the goofy moments in their lives. 

Emma poked the door sharply with the second knuckle of her index finger, biting her lip so she wouldn't laugh when a surprised yelp was heard from Andromeda's side at the solid tap, "I _will_ get you back for that Andy!" 

The younger Swan cleared her throat, pretending she didn’t just jump nearly three feet in the air and snickered as she responded, "You're just jealous that you keep falling for that old hat trick!" 

Rolling her eyes, Emma called through the door to hurry up so she could shower too before walking into her bedroom for a change of clothes. She was happy that they had dragged the man into the police station quickly since she wasn't in the mood to be near the guy after his family comment. 

Hearing Andromeda singing Working for the Weekend by Loverboy over the sound of running water, Emma let out a soft laugh and grabbed her comfort clothes, "Hey, I'll be back. Going to run to that one bakery that seems to stay open twenty-four seven," she called to her sister in all but blood, walking through the apartment to the front door. The usual yell of " _Okay, drive safe! There’s crazy people out there!_ " was heard when she grabbed her keys off the table. At that, Emma walked out of the apartment, made sure to lock it behind her, and headed off to get two cupcakes for her birthday snack tonight. 

It took Andromeda maybe ten minutes to finish up her shower, ' _Might as well pick up a bit, not much to clean but it will just add up if we don't do it now._ ' She thought as she looked around the lightly cluttered apartment. Noticing a few empty cups and books laying open but face down, she set off to finish before Emma returned. ****

* * *

**(*Two Hours Later*)**

* * *

Once Emma was out of the bathroom with an old set of comfort clothes being worn and hair freshly blown dry, she joined Andromeda near the kitchen bar counter. 

Seeing the two cupcakes with candles had been set out, Emma lightly hip bumped the other woman, sharing a smile with her best friend at their yearly tradition that started back around the time they met Lily. 

"So I see we're still doing the usual celebration, yeah?" Emma asked as Andromeda lit the two candles with a match she had, blowing out the flame left on said match once each was lit, then passed the now useless match to Emma. The conversation paused long enough for Emma to fling it towards the trashcan, triggering cheers from both of them when it made it inside. They turned back to their cupcakes and Andromeda twined her left and Emma's right arms together. 

"Yep," the brunette nodded with a grin, finally answering Emma's question. She pulled Emma to lean forward on the kitchen island table with her and continued, "now make a wish and blow out the candles, old lady Swan. I have a good feeling about this year!" 

"Andy, you say that every year." Rolling her eyes at the brunette pointedly ignoring her, Emma joined in and closed her eyes, gripped Andromeda's hand from their entwined arms, and blew out the candles. 

***** **_Knock, knock, knock_ ** *****

Both pairs of stormy blue and forest green eyes looked towards the other set to stare at each other in confusion. Neither had someone coming over that day, so the fact that someone was there that late at night was a bit weird. 

"God, I hope that's not the land-lady." Andromeda muttered, making Emma give her a ' _What the hell?_ ' look again, this time at the comment instead of the shared one they had at the knocking. 

"What?" The brunette shrugged and continued as she walked slightly behind Emma when the blonde started moving towards the door, "I can't help it, she's a five-letter word for a female dog on a good day. Don't even get me started on how she is on a bad day." 

Emma couldn't help but let out a snort of agreement as she pulled open the front door. Her face morphed into a look of confusion until they both heard a cough that dragged her and Andromeda's eyes lower to catch sight of a little kid who couldn't be any older than ten or eleven. 

"Are you Emma Swan?" The brown-haired boy asks them both, and at Emma's nod he focuses on her and continues. "Hi! I'm Henry, I'm your son!" With that tid-bit of information, he was sliding past and heading into the living room without another word. 

While Emma went after him and closed Andromeda's dropped jaw shut on the way, the younger Swan shook her head to try to focus. Looking over at the two near and in the kitchen, she let out a throat clear and used a silent nod towards the back room that told Emma that she'd be right back. She knew she had a weird feeling that basically demanded her to pull her and Emma's duffel bags from storage earlier, though she was doubtful of the feeling, she was now happy that she went through with it and jogged into their shared room to pack said two duffel bags. 

Andromeda figured that based on the boy's accent, he wasn't from Boston. Since he wasn't from Boston, she knew she should pack the bags each with hygiene necessities, clothes, and even pulled the money from her physical stash into her bag. The stash was because she didn't completely trust the banks after she learned what had happened during the 'Great Depression' and she never quite got over the ingrained teachings of to keep her money with her in reach from her childhood. 

Emma called her crazy for it, but since Andromeda was so good at keeping track of it all, the elder Swan just ignored the odd quirk half the time. Besides, it was a constantly well-made point of how much easier it was to just carry cash when she and Emma were on the run as kids, and later when they were adults to avoid leaving paper trails. Even Emma did it to the point where it was done out of habit more than anything else at that point. 

Once she had both bags packed to the brim, she put the long straps on her shoulders and booked it back into the living room, arriving just in time for Henry to ask who the other lady is. 

"Oh," Emma said walking over from her place near the couch to where said ‘lady’ was now standing near the doorway to the bathroom, throwing an arm around the brunette's shoulders, "This is Andromeda Swan, my best friend. However, I call her Andy." 

Andromeda stuck out her hand to the seemingly awe-struck boy in front of them as she gave a soft smile at how cute he looked, "Hello there, Henry. It's nice to meet you!" 

When the kid just continued to stare at her, Emma cleared her throat to knock him out of whatever train of thought he had. That shock sent him jumping forward to start shaking her hand with enthusiasm. He pulled back after a few seconds to hug the large book he had and looked down at his shoes that he scuffed lightly at the floor. 

"Aw, look at that," Andromeda cooed a little at how adorable he was before she turned to smirk at Emma, "he's just as shy as you can be!" 

Emma narrowed her green eyes at the teasing but instead of saying anything she just rolled her eyes and turned back to Henry, "Alright kid, let's go, and yes," Emma paused, holding up a hand to stop Henry's argument when he opened his mouth, "Andy is going with us." 

When the boy grinned and latched on to Andromeda's hand, tugging her to follow after him and Emma as they headed towards the apartment door. The brunette couldn't help but laugh at his never-ending excitement at them taking him back to his home. Kid reminded her too much of a younger Emma. 

* * *

**(*Storybrooke, Maine - Hours Later*)**

* * *

As the bug pulled into Storybrooke, the brunette let out a sigh of relief at no longer having to deal with the awkward silence in the car. She was thankful that all they had to do now was drop off Henry and check to make sure he really was doing okay. 

Seeing how empty the town streets were, along with the soft warm lights that kept the streets lit up, Andromeda started to drift off to sleep for a few minutes, having been soothed by how calm and quite the small town seemed. 

Hearing a screech of tires and feeling her seat belt tighten to hold her from snapping forward, she yelped with Henry before Emma pulled up the parking brake and hopped out of the car with a frustrated huff about something. 

Emma began arguing with Henry as the kid followed her out of the bug, and it continued even as they leaned on to the driver's side of the bug. Andromeda pulled her jacket back on and went through the process of unlocking her seat belt. Unknown to her, Henry's shrink had just walked up as she got out and ran a hand through her hair, hoping for no crazy sleep hair. 

When Emma got the address for Henry's house from the man, she heard a curious stumble of words him from him when he saw Andromeda and clear recognition flashed through his eyes before he shook his head, eyes clouding once more. The man didn't say anything about it, and instead just said his goodbyes and left. 

' _Hmm..._ ' Emma thought as she turned her attention to her best friend, wondering what could cause a look like that as she gestured Henry to get back into the bug. 

"Andy!" Emma called out to get the brunette's attention, deciding it was nothing, "Hey, I got the kid's address. If you want I can drop him off, you can go ahead and see if there’s a hotel or something in town?" 

"Yeah, no problem... might take me a minute to find it, but I'll text you the location!" Andromeda answered, smirking at Emma as she zipped up her hoodie most of the way. Turning on her heel, the brunette took off at a brisk jog down the road after the shrink before he could vanish from sight since he was the only person they had seen so far. 

Emma rolled her eyes with amusement at the sight of the visible excitement Andromeda had at no longer being cooped up in the bug, dropping into the driver seat and sighed deeply when she noticed Henry pouting in the front passenger seat. Closing the door with a snap, Emma drove off towards the Mayor's house. 

_It was gonna continue to be a long night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now... from here on out the chapters will probably be closer to the length of my Supergirl chapters (12k to 15k words a chapter). There will also be flashbacks in the future to fill in more past details, but not gonna lie... I really wanted to get Emma and Andromeda to Storybrooke. Again, I constructive criticism and just regular comments to kick my butt into gear for cranking out the next chapter are highly welcome here <3 I truly hope ya'll will like the upcoming chapters, but be warned! There will probably be a lot to read each chapter after this one o.O


	4. Chapter 2 - First Meetings and Scattered Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Andromeda are now in Storybrooke, but what exactly is going on? And why do people keep having small 'episodes' around town?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, this is another short chapter but until we get to the part where I REALLY start branching off canon with new story lines and stuff, it's going to skip over a fair bit of stuff that IS still canon events to avoid too many "filler repeats". I hope ya'll enjoy, and feel free to comment with any thoughts/concerns!
> 
> P.S. (insert usual disclaimer about how i own nothing but my OC and any fully new stories I might mix in with this)

* * *

**_(*Storybrooke – The Next Morning*)_ **

* * *

The first thing Andromeda noticed as her sleepy mind drifted awake was the cooing sounds of mourning doves causing her to slowly take a deep breath, turning it into a relaxed sigh, “Yep... I officially love this town now.” She carefully stretched from her precarious position on a branch up in one of the trees near the town hall and hummed with a smile when more coos sounded off not too far away. 

“Good to hear!” A voice suddenly called from below, sending Andromeda into a panicking flail. 

She would deny it to her deathbed but she gave a yelp of surprise when her flailing sent her right out of the tree and down into the arms of the cheeky stranger. Said woman grinned down at her, “You know, normally when people fall for me they don’t do it literally. I must say that this is a first.” 

Andromeda straightened up once the woman put her down and fought off a flush of embarrassment, “Sorry about that! Wasn’t expecting anyone to even notice I was up there. Pretty sure I just lost a few years off my life span from that surprise.” She finished with a mutter, running her right hand through her hair, then offered her left and continued, “Name’s Andromeda Swan! Thanks for the catch...” 

“Mallory Draycon, and you’re very welcome Andromeda Swan.” The taller, suit and heel wearing blonde graced the response with a smirk, amusement clear in the blue eyes that roamed Andromeda’s figure for a moment. Seeing the minutely growing blush, she gracefully took the Swan’s hand and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. “Say... you wouldn’t happen to have an opening in any plans around the lunch hour, would you?” 

Blushing a little under the woman’s curious gaze, Andromeda bit her lip in thought before replying, “No real plans at the moment as far as I know. Emma’s somewhere with the Bug right now so my schedule is pretty clear.” 

“Fantastic! I have to head inside and do some work, but I would love to meet you here before walking over to the local diner for lunch later, if you’d allow it.” Mallory gracefully let go of Andromeda’s hand tipped her fedora when the younger woman nodded shyly in agreement. “Till then, Madame Swan.” With a sly wink, the blonde turned on her heeled foot and, dare Andromeda even think it, smoothly swaggered into the City Hall’s side entrance. 

“Wow...” Andromeda breathed out with a small swoon from that whirlwind of a meeting, “That’s one hell of a woman.” Grinning, she turned towards the nearest sidewalk and nearly skipped with how cloud nine she felt now, “Not even twenty-four hours here and I’ve somehow scored a hot date. I love this town! Wonder where Emma went off to though...” 

* * *

**_(*Main Street - Later that Day*)_ **

* * *

As Emma always liked to say, ‘ _An unsupervised Andy is a dangerous Andy_.’ Case in point, growing up Andromeda caused mayhem even though her heart was in the right place, when Emma wasn’t able to keep an eye on her at any certain time. 

At the age of twelve Andromeda had once risked her getting caught to fake-steal a messenger bag from one of the local police officers, and led a growing group of them on a merry chase right into a scheduled dog-fighting ring to get the owners caught red handed. It worked, and she was able to drop off the bag into a squad car, but it was still an insanely close call. Hell, when Andromeda was six, she even kicked a foster parent in the shins hard enough to bruise for calling her a liar about her birth parents. 

That sort of behavior is what landed her visits to a therapist, and in turn it actually made it worse for her. They tried to ‘fix’ her with medication when the talking wasn’t working, and kids... kids can be cruel to those they see as strange. It didn’t help that due to Andromeda’s beliefs and Emma’s protective attitude over the younger girl, they were as strange as it seemed to get to the others. 

Both situations ended up tying together more often than not when Emma would get into a scuffle with what was usually an older kid over cruel words about her best friend, only for Andromeda to later somehow put the fear of even breathing in their direction into the other kid if Emma ended up injured. Which would bring about trouble from the adults when they found out what happened. 

What had Emma shutting out the adults completely however, was when Andromeda started having... events after so many times of dealing with the other kids and the failing adults. The first event was when Andromeda was six years old in one of their bad homes. She swore she could hear voices calling her name, but when heading to follow them, would find no one there. Those voices worried Emma, but she kept quiet about it. That decision was solidified the day that the then tiny Andromeda puffed up as much as possible and nearly got into a fist fight with an older kid who had mocked Emma for singing into a tape recorder. It took a few weeks, but Andromeda was able to coax Emma into not giving up, even though the contest was over, because in Andromeda’s words, ‘ _Music is magic in our hearts, Em!_ ’. 

Emma shook her head to pull herself back to the present as the song from a nearby radio finished. Glancing back up, she couldn’t help but grin at Andromeda dancing around on the sidewalks of main street, belting out lyrics to some song or another with Henry laughing and goofily shimmying around as well. The younger Swan had been left unsupervised with Henry while Emma went to speak with Regina, and this is what the blonde came back to. Seeing the signs in Andromeda’s posture and hearing the wavering crack in her voice alerted Emma to another thing though. 

She knew she would have to take Henry home soon before finding a place for her and Andromeda to stay, and soon, because having grown up with Andromeda’s ‘events’ had made assisting with them a familiar yet unburdening habit. Not that she would tell anyone details about the events that Andromeda had, nor let them push for information when someone sets off a mental trigger. After all, PTSD wasn’t fun to have in any form, and she refused to let anyone judge Andromeda for having Dissociative Identity Disorder or anything else that mentally weighed on the younger Swan. 

If Andromeda fought anyone over issues they might have with Emma’s autism, Emma knew she had no ground to stop her because she does the same. 

“Save me from the ferocious dragon!“ Andromeda howled over dramatically, lunging and clinging to Emma's calf when she and Henry were in range, the sound of Henry giggling at her antics highlighting the fake dramatic moment, dragging Emma back to the present situation. 

Emma rolled her eyes with a grin, gesturing for Henry to hop in the bug while she hauled her best friend up off the ground. 

"Okay drama queen, go hop in the passenger seat. We’ve got to get Henry home before his curfew." The blonde said, grinning at how Andromeda easily hefted a still giggling Henry up and on to her hip, jogging for said passenger side door with the ten-year-old clinging to her like a monkey. 

Once everyone was inside the bug and settled, Andromeda laid her head sideways on the seat to look back at Henry with a happy smile, "So, how have you been today, Sir Henry?" 

Playing along, Henry puffed out his chest and struck a pose, "I've been awesome like I always am, thank you for asking. How've you been, Knight Andy?" He asked right back with a joyful tone to his silly pitched voice that cracked more than anything when he tried to deepen it. 

"Fantastic as always, Sir Henry, and might I say you do look mighty awesome today!" With a grin, Andromeda chirped back her response, causing Henry to break out in a fit of laughter. Emma grinned at the two, muttering about how they were 'completely silly' with a roll of her eyes. 

Placing a dramatic hand over her heart, Andromeda spoke up to Emma, "Now, now, older squire... no need to be jealous of our knight status!" 

Emma puffed up, deciding to join them, "Oh, ye only wish I was but a squire," she paused here listening to hear Henry giggle away for a moment before continuing with dramatic flair, "but the truth of the matter is... I am a Knight-Commander, and ye could only wish to be half the knight I am!" 

Andromeda let out a dramatic gasp, seeing Henry watching the two like a hawk with a grin on his face, before letting her attention go back to Emma, "Naysayer! I hath slain thy Dragon guarding thou kingdom's queen! With nothing but a boot dagger, may I add!" 

"Ah ha!" Emma called out as she continued driving down the road with a grin, eyes focused ahead but allowing herself to enjoy the ridiculous moment, "but thou stumbled away with a slash upon thine stomach and thou needed the aid of thine kingdom's healer! What say ye to that, eh?" 

"Ah, tis but a scratch!" The brunette stated, pointing her right pointer finger high in the air with a look of finality and a smirk. 

The moment Andromeda finished her last sentence, all three people in the car shared a quick look before they all burst into a gut wrenching, tear inducing laughter. Emma pulled up to the Mayor's house and placed the bug into park just in time since her ribs were starting to ache from all the laughing. 

"Oh, oh man..." Emma drawled out after their laughter started to slowly fade, "I don't think I've laughed like that in ages..." 

Still giggling, Henry nodded through his hiccups, causing more giggles to flow out as he slowly calmed down as well. 

"Oh, I agree Em... that was awesome." Andromeda said, sighing with a few giggles of her own since she was starting relax again. 

"Alright Henry, let's get you inside, okay?" Emma asked unbuckled and climbed out of the old Bug. 

Before Henry could protest, Andromeda helped him out of the back of the bug once she got out before she pulled him to her once she was kneeling to be closer to his height. 

"Hey, look at me Henry." She said, pulling his chin up to look him in the eye when he tried to hide his face. "Henry, I know you think your mom's an Evil Queen, but remember... there are always _many sides_ to a story and I want you to promise me that anything you read, you'll remember that the book is basically the trailer for a movie... and not everything before, in between, and during... okay?" 

Seeing Henry slowly understand as he nods, "So, you're saying that the book is just showing enough to get attention from those who read it, but isn't the whole movie?" 

Nodding at him once he seemed to understand, Andromeda continued, "Exactly. So when you go in there, I want you to remember... Sir Henry," she paused, having a hundred percent of his attention once she used the 'knight' title, "that you might have seen the trailer, but you haven't seen the movie yet. So... don't judge it too harshly, okay?" 

Henry smiled and nodded, hugging the woman he's come to adore as an aunt, before turning around and jogging after Emma with a grin. 

When Emma shot her a confused look, Andromeda just shrugged with a grin of her own, climbing back into the passenger seat of the bug for a few minutes of shut eye while Emma dealt with returning Henry to Regina. 

* * *

**_(*Outside of Granny’s Bed and Breakfast - About an hour later*)_ **

* * *

Pulling over to a nearby parking spot, both women hop out of the bug and link arms with Andromeda pulling Emma in the general direction of the hotel she received directions to from Mallory earlier. 

Walking through the dense small trees and bushes, they start up the small hill towards the hotel's entrance where Andromeda held the door open for Emma with a bow and a smirk. 

Emma just rolls her eyes and drags her best friend inside with her, grinning when she hears the tall brunette stumble before seeing her righting herself with a blush. 

Two sets of eyebrows went sky high at hearing two voices arguing alongside footsteps that thundered down the stairs nearby. 

When the elderly woman commented about being sorry for medically stopping the brunette from ' _sleeping her way down the eastern seaboard_ ', Andromeda just lost it and had to turn away, her shoulders shaking with the effort of trying not to laugh. Awkward situations were always a bit of a struggle to navigate through for the Swans. Emma would normally flounder for a different topic while Andromeda had a bad habit of uncontrollable nervous laughter. 

"Excuse me?" Emma spoke up before they could continue arguing, digging her elbow sharply into Andromeda’s side, making her to clear her throat and straighten up, eyes still shiftily glancing around to try to hide her previous nervous reaction, "We'd like a room with two beds, or two rooms?" 

"Really?" The older woman asked, stunned, at the same time of the brunette also leaning back into the room from wherever she stormed off to. 

When the older woman caught sight of Andromeda and stumbled slightly, Emma saw, yet again, a flash of recognition before haze settled back in. 

Andromeda, of course, dove forward and helped balance the woman before asking if she was okay. 

"Um... yes..." The woman murmured before shaking her head and walking behind the desk nearby with a smile, "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally there is an upgrade fee for the square but as rent is due, I'll waive it." 

"Square is fine..." Mumbled Emma as the older woman beamed at the two in front of her. 

"Ah... normal price for the square though." Andromeda jumped in, unable to fight the urge that the fee waive would feel like a hand-out. 

Unknown to the Swans, the brunette behind them was leaning against a nearby wall still seemingly stunned and feeling a strange pull with the younger brunette next to the blonde. 

"Now," the older woman asked, opening the leather-bound book and grabbing the desk pen, "What are the name's?" 

"Swan," Emma spoke up as Andromeda seemed truly amused by the ancient check in/out book, "Emma and Andromeda Swan." 

"Emma and Andromeda..." A male’s voice suddenly rang out. The unexpected man had both women to turn on their heels and step back a foot from how close this new person was. He continued with a smile, "What lovely names..." 

"Thanks..." Emma drawled out, not noticing Andy's eyes start filling with the Ember flecks as she let out a low and deep rumble neither of them seemed to notice. 

Seeing this, the older woman who they assumed to be ‘Granny’ pulled out a wad of cash from the desk drawer and handed it to the man once both Swans moved out of the way. “It’s all there.” 

He silently accepted the money before he turned back to the new women, "Enjoy your stay... Emma and Andromeda." 

When the man left, Andromeda could barely make out Emma asking who that man was while she tried to calm down. Staring at the door, she could still feel the rumble in her chest and the protective anger flowing freely until a hand clasped her upper right arm. Almost immediately, the rumble stopped and the anger sizzled out, and now refocused, she turned her attention to the owner of said hand to see the brunette who was arguing with Granny earlier. Tilting her head to the side a little, Andromeda wondered why this woman was able to calm her so fast and why she seemed so painfully familiar. 

Ruby, the other brunette, was curious as to why this 'Andromeda' had Ember flakes show up in her eyes before they started fading as her vision focused back on the remaining people in the Inn. 

"You okay?" Ruby asked softly, oddly feeling the need to be assured Andromeda was feeling better after the previous strange meeting with the man who was now long gone. 

"Yeah... yeah I'm... I'm okay, thanks." Andromeda stuttered for a moment, shaking her head a little. 

"Andy," Emma called out as she looked at the scene in front of her with more than a little confusion, "are you ready to hit the hay? We've got an early day tomorrow." 

Looking at Emma, she glanced back at the brunette in front of her, nodded her thanks, and turned back to her best friend completely, "Yeah, I'm ready Em. Feeling pretty tired is all." Andromeda muttered as she walked over to Emma, letting the blonde place a hand on her back and lead her up the stairs. 

When the two disappeared completely, Granny and Ruby both shared a look of confusion after the two finally left their sights up the staircase. **_Things sure are going to get interesting..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I did end up skipping the cell scene and stuff, because those scenes are just like the show. However, people may notice that I skipped over the "lunch date" with Mallory (I bet ya'll know who that is, even without the tags lol)! That will be talked about in the next chapter, and yes, this did jump around a bit during Emma's thought process about memories/events (on purpose, I wonder if anyone can guess why?)
> 
> As usual, all comments/constructive criticism are welcome with open arms! <3


End file.
